The One Who Doubted
by Dawn Destiny
Summary: When Noel and Serah can't find the paradox in a timeline, they meet up with a young seeress. How will they react? What secrets is this Yeul keeping? Why is she so... familiar? Rating is now T.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hopefully this will exhaust my NoelXYeul itch if I finish it. Somehow, I planned out a multi-chapter fic for this pairing. No spoilers for you though! Just... Don't expect a happy ending. This pairing just doesn't work that way. If I manage to make it somewhat less painful by the end, then that's good enough for me.**

Noel and Serah had been walking around for hours, getting in a few battles along the way, and he was all but convinced that there was no paradox in the timeline. Nothing really seemed out of place. Frustrated and tired, the two stopped to rest, finally taking some time to drink in the view. It was a beautiful place, if not a little warm, with exotic, colorful plants in every direction and a clear, fresh river running downhill.

"I don't get it, why can't we find anything? Usually creatures are jumping out from every direction right?" Serah commented in confusion. "This place seems perfectly fine the way it is."

"I have no idea, nothing looks out of place aside from how few times we've been attacked compared to other places," Noel replied, scooping some water out of the river and pouring it over his hair, which had grown slightly damp with sweat due to the heat. He scooped more, splashing it at his pink-haired companion childishly. "Cool off Serah, the water feels amazing!"

Serah giggled as she rolled her eyes, wiping soaked strands of hair out of her face. With a devilish gleam in her eyes, she sent a wave back at the sword wielder. He blinked, slightly startled at the ferocity of the wave she'd sent his way. Then he grinned widely.

"You have started a war, and I don't feel like losing today," he stated strongly. The both of them threw water at each other wildly like children, not paying much attention to their surroundings.

"You know, you should probably save some for the fish. I think they need it a little more than you do," a gentle voice teased. Both travelers stopped short, looking around for the source of the voice. "Over here!" the girl called from a little farther upstream.

Noel raised an eyebrow curiously, motioning to the figure. Serah nodded, still grinning as they made their way towards the girl. When they reached her, she was filling a few pots with water. As soon as she was completely in view, Noel and Serah both stared open-mouthed. Yeul was humming happily as she worked, her shirt a little bunched up from her work and wearing shorts instead of her skirt, which was hanging up on a line nearby. Her shoes rested on the grass fairly close to her as she waded into the river.

"Uh… Hello. My name is-." Serah began.

"I know who you are! It's nice to see you," Yeul cut in as she got out of the water. "This place is gorgeous isn't it?" she sighed.

'_Well she's definitely more… bubbly than the other Yeuls we've seen,'_ Serah thought, looking at Noel.

Noel, however, seemed to be thinking about something else entirely. He was staring at the young seeress with a light blush in his cheeks. Normally seeing her would send a rush of emotions through him that were impossible to ignore, but his mind was so distracted trying not to look at the way the her deep blue hair clung to her pale skin that seemed to be glistening with water droplets, that his thoughts were more like a big jumbled mass of nonsense.

Serah nudged Noel lightly, pulling him out of his stupor. "It is beautiful, don't you think so Noel?" the pinkette asked, smiling knowingly.

"Right. Yeah, it's… stunning," he breathed, his eyes lingering on Yeul a moment longer before he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Your cheeks are very red, are you getting overheated Noel?" Yeul asked with complete innocence as she stepped closer, reaching up and pressing a hand against his cheek gently.

"Y-yeah well, it is a bit hot," he said quietly, resisting the urge to hold the hand on his cheek to keep it in place. He sighed quietly when Yeul pulled her hand away and she began to look around a gather her things. When he glanced at Serah, his traveling companion was giggling quietly, trying to stifle her laughter at his reaction. With an annoyed eye roll he turned back as Yeul was re-wrapping her skirt over her shorts. Most of the pots were lined up by the riverside and all her things were together in a neat little pack that she slung over one shoulder. The seeress looked up at Noel, catching his gaze and smiling.

"Well then, are you two up for a hike?" Yeul questioned lightly.

"Sure! Where to?" Serah asked cheerily. She was enjoying watching Noel act so… boyish.

"Just up there," the younger girl answered happily, pointing to a mountain ledge that's distance was _slightly_ under exaggerated by the word 'hike'.

"Lead the way," Noel replied as Serah sighed at the distance.

When they finally reached their destination, Serah and Noel both sat immediately after the somewhat tiresome journey. Yeul, however, walked to the ledge fearlessly and sat, her legs dangling freely over the edge as the sun began to set. She sighed contentedly,taking in the beauty of her home. Noel watched her back from his spot.

"You know, a gentleman would make sure that a pretty young lady doesn't fall off the edge of a cliff," Serah mentioned from beside him.

"I dunno, it looks like she's having some nice alone ti-," Noel began, only to receive a sharp glare from his pink-haired companion he imagined she used on her students. "Fine, I'll go. Happy?"

"Overjoyed," Serah answered mischievously.

Noel go up from his spot, walking to the cliff edge beside Yeul before sitting down. He looked at the horizon, admitting that the view was much better in his present position.

"So… Do you come out here often?"

"Every day. I like watching the sun set. It's not quite day, but not night either. One of the most beautiful in-betweens I know of," she answered quietly. "I've seen it hundreds, heck probably thousands of times, but it never gets old. I used to wish it was always the same, but I realized that nature doesn't work that way."

"I know the feeling," Noel said, looking at her with interest. She turned to look at him and he quickly turned his eyes back to the setting sun, which had almost disappeared behind the horizon.

When the sun had finally descended, a thought occurred to Noel. "Yeul, where's Caius?"

Yeul seemed to contemplate the question for a moment. "He comes and goes. That guy is gone more often than not. He's like a constantly working father I think," she finally answered, standing up and waiting as Noel did the same. Then, unexpectedly, she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the ledge toward what looked like the wall of the mountain. She motioned to Serah to follow as she pressed against the rock lightly and a door opened. She pulled Noel inside, Serah following closely behind.

"Welcome to my home," she said cheerily.

It was a small place, but comfortable, definitely home-y. Serah looked around appreciatively at the cozy lighting and furniture. Yeul had released Noel's hand and was walking towards the kitchen when she stopped for a moment, staring into blank space and swaying. Noel stepped up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder gently. She blinked quickly, stumbling a bit as she snapped out of her trance. Noel held her up, keeping his arms firmly around her until she regained her balance.

"Are you alright Yeul?" he asked.

"Yeah, just a little dizzy from doing a lot of work today," she answered, smiling up at him. "Thank you for catching me."

Noel nodded, slowly pulling away, making sure she could stay steady. Yeul lingered as though she wanted to speak, but quickly turned and walked to the kitchen. Serah couldn't help noticing that the smile from the young seeress had seemed… not exactly fake, but weaker than before. In the kitchen, Yeul was sorting through her pack, pausing to think about what had happened. She looked up at her reflection with sadness in her eyes. Why was she so _unfair_ to him?

"Please don't hurt him this way again," she whispered pleadingly. Unfortunately she had no power over her fate, and both of them knew it. She saw it in his eyes whenever he spoke to her, the sad knowing that they would lose each other again. Was it so much to ask that he didn't have to go through that pain just for a little while? She just wanted to know him and let him know her. Was that too much to ask?

**A/N: There you go. First chapter up, second being written as quickly as possible. I told you things couldn't be all happy. As for her quick vision there, it weakened her a little, but obviously she doesn't always die straight away after a vision. If you want anything to happen in this story, or have ideas for other stories, feel free to share. I love input, but (as Yeul's life is) this fanfic is set on a timer. Once it's over, it's done. Please give a little review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here it is, the second chapter. I'm doing pretty well at keeping it light so far. Nothing really dark or depressing. Thanks to all the silent readers, because I looked at my traffic stats and just about had a heart attack! Special thanks to LM22102, diellemabelle, and a lovely anonymous guest for reviewing and/or following the story. I own nothing but my storyline. Please enjoy.**

"Interesting day huh?" Serah commented lightly. She was sitting in the front room of Yeul's home with Noel and Mog.

"You said it, Kupo!"

Noel was silent, seemingly examining his hands. Serah tilted her head, studying him curiously. "Noel, what's up?"

"She was smiling. Every time I looked at her, she was smiling," he replied quietly.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Of course it is. I just… I haven't seen her really smile since… It's been a long time."

Serah nodded in understanding, feeling a slight twinge in her chest. She was living an amazing adventure, but a part of her couldn't help wishing things could just be how they were supposed to. She wanted Snow back, and Lightning as well. She wanted to get married, surrounded by all her friends.

"I'll go see if she needs help with anything," the pinkette mentioned, walking to the kitchen. Noel didn't answer, so she took his silence as agreement.

Upon entering the kitchen, Serah was met with a flurry of activity. Yeul was cooking, running back and forth between drawers and cabinets and stoves. Serah took a deep breath before stopping the younger girl by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Need help?"

"Sure, you can cut the vegetables," the seeress said in relief, finally slowing down. The traveler nodded, following Yeul's instructions on what to do. The girl had obviously been taking care of herself for a while. Despite how much she had been darting around before, she knew what she was doing. Not much later, the meal was ready. It was a fairly simple soup. Of course, seeing as the girl lived alone, it wasn't necessarily surprising that she would serve something simple. The two poured some soup into bowls and carried them out of the kitchen to the front room. Noel seemed to be having a very spirited debate with Mog.

"I'm just saying, wouldn't it be easier for all Flan to move around if they _could_ fly or something? I mean, being all sludgy makes them move pretty slow and-,"

"Sorry to interrupt your… interesting conversation, but food is ready," Serah cut in, smiling lightly.

Noel looked at her, ready to respond with a witty retort but stopping himself when he noticed Yeul's raised eyebrow and amused expression. There was a moment of silence as the two young women set the food down on a small table in front of the chairs.

"Looks yummy, Kupo!" Mog sang out cheerily.

"It'd better be; we worked hard on this!" the pinkette replied.

They all picked up their bowls and utensils, beginning the meal. Serah mulled over the flavor; it was interesting. It was unique, that was for sure. There wasn't much flavor to it, but the simplicity in itself was enjoyable. For some reason, it just didn't seem to fit in with everything else she'd experienced so far. She glanced at Noel, watching for his reaction. To her surprise, he was mostly just looking at it, studying it even. He'd take a sip, and then he'd stop and stare for a moment as though he couldn't quite comprehend something. Serah opened her mouth to ask him what he was thinking about, but the seeress spoke first.

"Is it… okay?" Yeul asked him quietly.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's great. It just… kinda tastes a little familiar," he replied, sounding a little unsure of his answer. "I like it though."

The younger girl smiled, seeming relieved at his answer. "That's good," she murmured, turning back to her own food. Serah decided not to comment, instead finishing her soup and mulling over her thoughts on her own. Everyone in the room finished eating in contented silence. The pink-haired traveler put her bowl back down on the table before leaning back into her chair.

"So what's it like living here?" she asked Yeul lightly.

"It's… nice. This place is pretty quiet and calm. It's soothing."

"Where did you live before here? Or were you born in a village near here?" the pinkette continued.

Yeul laughed a little strangely. "I actually don't remember. Weird, right? I woke up one day and couldn't remember anything about where I was born, or where I grew up. I was already living here, and Caius was there to fill me in on where I was."

"That is unusual," Noel commented, looking at her curiously. "You don't know anything about when or where you grew up?"

"No, not really." The seeress shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Serah noticed her discomfort and decided to change the subject.

"Well, this is a beautiful place regardless. What do you usually do on a normal day?"

Yeul smiled at her gratefully, thankful for the change. "Depends on the day. Sometimes I spend time by the river, sometimes I explore a little. The only thing I make sure to do every day is watch the sun rise and set. It's a bit of a habit."

"Really? How long have you been doing it?" Noel asked curiously.

"Every day, even when I couldn't remember anything, I knew it was just something I needed to do," Yeul answered quietly.

Noel seemed to be studying the seeress, as though he was trying to solve a difficult equation. She, on the other hand, was studying her hands. Serah glanced back and forth between the two of them with a raised eyebrow. Finally the pinkette stood, picking up all the bowls as she did. Yeul looked up at her in surprise, ready to get up and help.

"No need to help, it's getting late. You should rest a little before your sun rises," Serah said offhandedly.

"But-," Yeul began, stopping short at a glare from Serah.

"No buts, you should get some rest. You're what, sixteen? Seventeen?"

"Seventeen actually, but-,"

"I said no buts, get some rest," Serah said sternly, using her teacher voice.

The seeress nodded, resisting the urge to say 'Yes ma'am,' as she prepared to leave. "There's an extra bedroom and the couch is really comfortable," Yeul murmured before excusing herself politely from the room.

Noel watched her leave, uncertainty still in his eyes. "Did you have to be so harsh?" he asked his travelling companion.

Serah shrugged, carrying the bowls to the kitchen. "You were making her uncomfortable. I doubt she's used to being analyzed Noel."

"I wasn't analy-… Okay, maybe I was staring a _little_, but there's something… different about her this time. It's like… like she's more familiar."

The pinkette began cleaning the kitchen up a little, listening to Noel as he tried to explain his thoughts. She couldn't figure out if he was overthinking the entire situation, or if she should be thinking the same way. Eventually she just shook her head. "How about you help me clean up in here and we can figure this out later?" she offered.

Noel just sighed heavily, getting to work. It was a fairly quick job, and the two decided to finish their conversation in the morning. Noel claimed the couch as his sleeping space, and Serah happily took the other bed. It had been a long day to say the least. Both of them were finally starting to relax when the screams started. Noel jumped up with lightning speed and rushed to the source of the noise, almost knocking Serah down on the way there. She looked at him with worried eyes as they opened the door the Yeul's bedroom.

The seeress seemed to be in pain, her hands clenched the sheets so tightly that her knuckles were white. Her shrieks were piercing as she thrashed in her sleep. Serah stood by the door, frozen in place. She couldn't figure out which course of action to take. Noel on the other hand, moved quickly to Yeul's side, grabbing her shoulders and trying to contain her violent movements. He shook her, trying to wake her up. One of her hands latched onto his arm, the nails drawing blood as they dug into his skin.

"Yeul! Wake up!" he shouted, shaking her. "Come on! Wake up!"

Slowly, Yeul's eyes opened and her grip on Noel's arm loosened. Her eyes were filled with tears and he pulled her close to him without thinking. She wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.

"It was just a dream, just a dream," she whispered, poorly attempting to hold back a sob.

"It's alright, I'm here. I'm right here," he murmured to her softly.

Yeul broke down, holding onto him as though her life depended on it. Noel couldn't really do anything but hold her until she wore herself out. Serah left the room silently, realizing she wouldn't be of much help. As she walked back to the other bedroom she couldn't help the thoughts that entered her mind. This Yeul was different from any they'd met before. She was so much more emotional, and seemingly acted with more… freedom. Why was she so unique? Granted, each Yeul was a little different, but this was almost a complete change in character. As she went to lie down, suddenly that was all she could think about. The thoughts clouded her mind even as she went to sleep.

In the other room, Yeul was settling down slowly. She was still holding onto Noel as though he was her lifeline. He couldn't find it in him to tell her to let go, or even let go himself. Her breathing returned to normal, and her grip loosened, but she still didn't let go.

"Are you… Alright?" Noel asked uncertainly.

"I think so," she replied tiredly.

"Will you be alright? If I leave I mean?"

"I don't know. Could you just… stay a little longer?" she asked quietly, almost nervously.

"I guess…" he replied, pulling back from their embrace. She tried to offer a weak smile, failing miserably. With certain reluctance, Yeul laid back down on the bed, attempting to get comfortable. She grabbed Noel's hand gently, pulling him down to her. A little more confident, Noel laid beside her, wrapping an arm around her securely.

"I'm right here if you need me again," he said quietly, smoothing her hair with one hand.

"Thank you," she whispered, feeling herself fall into a deep sleep. Noel fell asleep moments later, telling himself that he'd get up before her.

**A/N: Okay, so it's not really super amazing, but it does help set up the rest of the story. There are some things essential to what will happen later that needed to be put in. I swear the strangeness of Yeul's character will be explained. It's not completely just because I randomly felt like making her that way. This will probably be the chapter that took me the longest to write. Most of what's left is written in notebooks. Please shoot me a review, they really do help.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hooray! I updated! So this chapter reveals a bit. After this, it's down to the nitty gritty. Thanks to diellemabelle for reviewing! Reviews make me smile! I will only say this once, I don't own FFXIII-2. I only own my story.**

When Yeul awoke the first thing she noticed was a muscular arm draped around her midsection. She opened her eyes and looked at the still sleeping brunette beside her. When she shifted his eyes fluttered open, focusing slowly as he woke up. His eyes widened briefly as he realized where he was, but he made no attempts to move.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"You were having a nightmare. I was able to calm you down but… I wanted to make sure you were alright," Noel replied. "Do you… remember anything? From your dream I mean."

She shook her head. "No, not really. The last thing I remember is going to bed."

They both laid there in silence, thinking about different things before Yeul decided to speak again.

"Noel… I used to dream about you. When I first woke up without any memories, I'd see you in my dreams. At first, I thought you were just a figment of my imagination. When I first told Caius he gave me a strange look and muttered something about retaining memories and how peculiar it was. As time went on, and I found out that you were real… I don't know, I began to think about you a lot. When I first saw you and Serah, it was as though I was just seeing an old friend for the first time in a while…"

Noel thought about what she'd said for a moment. "What kinds of things did you dream about?" he asked finally.

"Just random things, watching you learn how to use a sword when you were younger, playing around and talking about childish things, listening as you planned out adventures we would go on together… It was as though I was re-living something. I saw it all through my own eyes. It was as though my dreams were memories instead of visions of what was to come."

"…Is that possible? Can you exist in two timelines at once? I mean, obviously you do but you're not the same… you."

"I'm not sure," Yeul answered truthfully. "It just feels like I know you already, but how can I when I've just met you?"

Noel took some time before answering. "What did I get you for your sixteenth birthday?"

"A flower… It was from a Cactuar, a metal one. You came back covered in needles and couldn't walk for days afterwards," the seeress replied immediately, smiling gently. Then she looked into his eyes curiously. "Right?"

"Yes," Noel replied, a little amazement evident in his eyes.

"Then my dreams weren't dreams, they were memories."

"And if they're memories, as opposed to something you observed through a vision or watching the timeline then… That means you're…"

"That means that I'm the same Yeul as the one from your timeline," she finished quietly.

Noel pushed a strand of hair behind her ear gently. "You didn't grow up with me here-"

"I don't remember growing up here. It's as though I simply woke up as a different person," Yeul said, cutting him off. "Noel… I told you you'd see me again. I guess I was right."

Noel just nodded, holding her a little tighter as he remembered her last words. He didn't want her to slip away again, despite his knowledge that he had no say in the matter. Yeul's hands moved up, fingers tracing his jawline softly. With hesitance, she clasped her hands together at the back of his neck and pressed their lips together. It was a soft kiss, full of innocence and curiosity. Still, when it ended both Noel and Yeul seemed a little shocked at the spark they'd felt in those few seconds. Yeul was the one to speak first.

"Don't let me go," she whispered.

"I won't. I promise," Noel stated firmly before kissing her again. The two felt completely in sync, as though they were two songbirds harmonizing in a romantic ballad. Though it lasted only seconds, it seemed longer because of the sheer emotion running through them. Both of them froze when they heard a knock on the bedroom door.

"Sorry to wake up anyone, or interrupt anything, but a certain purple-haired man is headed this way, and we're not really on friendly terms at the moment," Serah called through the door.

"Caius," Noel murmured a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"You and Serah have to hide," Yeul whispered urgently, her eyes widening. "He can't see you here!"

The two of them jumped up from the bed quickly, trying to figure out exactly what to do. Yeul settled with pushing Noel into a small wardrobe in her robe. He was too surprised to resist as he was shoved in. The seeress then proceeded to open the door, pull a panicking Serah into the room, and shove her into the wardrobe as well. Noel opened his mouth to protest her actions, but she shut the door before he could speak. Sighing, she left the room to meet her guardian.

Inside the wardrobe Serah and Noel looked at each other with raised eyebrows. "Well, that escalated quickly," Serah whispered, giggling slightly. Noel just rolled his eyes.

Yeul took one more deep breath before exiting her home to speak with Caius. He was just standing there, looking out at the still dark night. The sun would be rising soon, and he knew she would be up to watch it. Watching over someone the majority of their life made it easy to remember their habits. When she walked out, she seemed to have a different air about her. There was a light in her eyes that he didn't see often. When she used to ramble on about her dreams was when he'd see it before, but the leather-clad man had thought that light, that freedom had faded since she'd stopped asking about them. Something was different, but he didn't feel the need to ask her. It would be a useless effort. She was quite… stubborn in this timeline.

"Hello Caius," she greeted softly.

He nodded, acknowledging her welcome. She stood beside him as the first rays of light began to appear over the horizon. "How are you faring Yeul?"

"… They're coming to me more often now. I can feel myself weakening more and more every day, but I have been doing well," she replied.

"So… It will happen soon then I presume?" Caius asked. Yeul didn't answer for a while. She seemed to be thinking deeply. "Yeul?"

"Caius… What would happen if I were to… If I didn't…"

"Do you doubt your fate?"

"No, of course I would n-,"

"Because you know what happens when you try to change the future Yeul," Caius said darkly. Yeul just nodded, but she seemed to have lost that light burning in her eyes again. Sighing, Caius placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know how… unique this situation is. It is not one we can take lightly."

"I understand," the seeress whispered.

Truthfully, Caius hated seeing that bit of freedom leave the Yeul's eyes. Still, this particular situation was one that needed to be handled delicately. Both of them knew how the chapter needed to end, but that didn't mean he had to agree with any of it. The sooner he could stop this madness, the better. Unfortunately, this was one part he simply could not toy with. So instead of voicing his thoughts any further, he just sat with Yeul in silence and watched the sun rise. When it was over he would leave, he had no further business in this timeline, and his meddling would be of no help.

**Back in the wardrobe…**

Noel was growing slightly impatient and Serah still thought the whole concept of their situation was funny enough to let out little giggles every few minutes.

"It really isn't that funny Serah," Noel commented.

"But we're inside a _wardrobe_. Noel, it's like she just pulled some kind of 'secret lover' stunt!" Serah answered, giggling again.

"Oh? And what does that make you, an accomplice?"

"No silly, you've got it all wrong! Obviously _I'm_ the secret lover and _you're_ the accomplice!" Serah joked through her quiet laughter.

Noel rolled his eyes again. "It's a good thing he didn't come inside, Caius would probably be extremely curious about why Yeul's furniture was giggling."

The comment only made Serah laugh more.

The two fell silent when they heard the front door open and close. Soft footsteps entered the bedroom and slowly opened the wardrobe doors.

"Sorry about that," the seeress said quietly.

"It's fine, so he's gone then?" Serah said cheerily. Yeul nodded slowly. Noel looked at her strangely. It was as though some of the fire he'd seen not too long ago had faded.

"Yeul is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, of course not!" the girl in question replied. She seemed to be hiding something, but he didn't push the subject further. He figured she'd tell him eventually if it was something serious.

"Well then, what should we do today?" Serah asked. Just then, thunder seemed to shake the mountain itself, and rain could be heard pelting down on the ground outside. "… On the other hand, relaxing inside sounds good to me."

**A/N: Okay, so not much happened this chapter. I fluffed it up a little, but next chapter is when things will really speed up. I predict that I have about 2-3 more chapters left before I wrap up this story.**

**To diellemabelle: You are quite the observant one! Okay, I made it a little obvious, but there is a method to my madness. Everything will come together soon.**

**Please review! Reviews make me smile and give me a reason to keep writing!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Shorter than the last one, but I needed to get things rolling.**

Yeul, Noel, Serah, and Mog were all relaxing in the living room, waiting for the rain to cease. It had been raining hard for a few hours already, and they had run out of things to talk about. Mog was flitting about, Yeul was leaning against Noel with his arm draped loosely across her shoulders, and Serah was observing everyone else in amusement. A single thought was bothering the pinkette though. Ever since Noel had explained that the Yeul in this timeline was 'his Yeul,' something had been scratching at the back of her mind. For the sake of all those present, she decided to keep her suspicions to herself. If it was true, then it would be found out eventually.

"So then, what was it that Caius wanted to talk about," Serah asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Nothing much, he was just making sure I was doing well," Yeul replied, thought she couldn't seem to make eye contact with the pinkette.

"Okay, you just looked a little down after you came back inside," the traveler commented.

Noel looked at Serah with a raised eyebrow. Where were all the questions coming from? Why was she suddenly so curious? If Yeul had something to hide she would have told them by now surely. He wasn't quite sure what to say as Serah asked more questions. His travelling companion seemed to be trying to get information on something, but what could it be? Yeul seemed tense next to him, increasingly so whenever she was asked a new question. He should have seen it coming, it seemed so obvious, thinking back, but he didn't get it until Yeul finally broke under pressure. Well, that is, if breaking under pressure is calmly standing up and revealing something no one is sure they want to hear. At first, Noel wasn't even sure he believed it himself.

"What?" he found himself asking.

"She is the paradox Noel. A person existing in two timelines is like an object in the wrong timeline. I've been thinking about it for a while now. There must be a reason each Yeul is slightly different in every timeline right? She isn't supposed to exist in this timeline because she came from yours," Serah explained quietly. "So to correct to timeline…"

"I have to die," Yeul finished. "The timeline is righting its wrongs, and with my death it can be rid of the paradox and my visions at the same time."

Noel looked back and forth between the young women in disbelief. "No. That can't… You can't just… I finally got you back," he murmured, grabbing Yeul's hand and holding it tightly. She just looked at him, trying not to show emotion. As they stared at each other Serah silently exited the room with Mog, leaving the two alone.

"Noel, we both knew this would happen eventually," the seeress began quietly.

"That doesn't make it any better," he shot back.

"What do you want me to say? I can't change my fate. You're making this more difficult than it needs to be-,"

"For who?! Who exactly is this so difficult for?! Everyone seems to agree that-,"

"For me! You're making this more difficult for me!" she exclaimed. "You don't understand! I've waited for you for so _long_, dreaming of freedom I can never have! I've tried to change the future before, and people died! Do you understand? People _died_ because I tried to avoid my fate Noel!"

Yeul stood up and turned her back on him. She had never been so angry in all her life; usually negative emotions just seemed useless, so she'd thrown them to the side. Having him beside her made her feel and she wasn't sure whether it was better or worse.

"All I'm trying to say is that you don't have to give everything up for once. Maybe, just once, you can be happy," Noel said quietly.

"I don't believe that's something I have power over," the seeress answered before leaving the house. Noel stared at the closed door for a while. After a few minutes Serah re-entered the room, with Mog floating closely behind her.

"Aren't you going after her?" the pinkette asked.

"Not like this," he answered simply. He was too angry to think straight. If he tried to go after her now, they'd argue again. They both just needed some time to cool off. Serah seemed to recognize this, whispering to Mog. The moogle nodded and exited the house quietly. Sitting across from her travelling companion, Serah finally asked the question. "So tell me what happened."

…

Fuming, Yeul walked along the riverside. She'd only wanted to see Noel happy and smiling. Instead, both of them were angry. It was obvious he just wanted to keep her safe, but he didn't have to be so stubborn! Sighing, she crouched on some rocks by the river, relaxing a little. After a few moments she was finally calmed down. Looking back, she realized that she had walked pretty far downstream.

"I guess… I should go talk to him," she whispered, smiling slightly. She stood and turned, ready to head back when her foot slipped on the surface beneath her. It was slick from the earlier storm, and she didn't even have time to make a sound as she hit the water. It was colder than usual and the current was stronger after such a large storm. She tried to reach for a rock, the shore, anything that she could grab on to, but the current was pulling her too quickly. Yeul slammed up against a large rock; she managed to cry out as her vision blurred. Her struggle to stay up grew more difficult as everything around her began to fade. She managed to gulp in one last breath of air before the water pulled her under.

…

Noel was ranting, extremely agitated that he'd gotten so angry at Yeul in the first place. He shouldn't have yelled at her, but she didn't have to be so infuriatingly stubborn. Serah was watching him with a raised eyebrow as he let off steam. Breathing in deeply, he ran a hand through his hair.

"Are you done?" the pinkette asked, feeling slightly annoyed at her companion.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am," he answered, calming down. "I guess I should go find her then."

"I sent Mog ahead to look. I figured you'd both take a while, so I wanted to keep her in sight until you got over your issues."

Noel blushed lightly and nodded, ready to follow the trail to find Yeul again. Serah walked out after him, biting her lip. She hadn't heard back from Mog yet and couldn't help feeling as though something bad was going to happen.

The pair walked along the riverside for a couple minutes, finding no trace of Yeul or Mog. Both of them were beginning to worry.

"Wait!" Noel shouted, crouching by the edge. There was mud on the rocks that had clear stripes leading to the water. A small piece of white fabric was clinging to the rocks, torn from clothing. Noel dipped a hand in the water, quickly pulling it out as his arm was quickly covered in gooseflesh.

"The rocks are slippery because of the storm," he choked out. "The current is strong and the water's freezing…"

"You mean she fell in?!" Serah gasped. Noel's eyes were hardened as he nodded.

"We need to find her fast."

"Serah, Noel Kupo!" a breathless moogle shouted, heading towards them. "She needs help, Kupo!"

"Mog, you found her? You're sure?" Noel asked fervently.

"Yes, Kupo! Hurry, Kupo!"

Noel and Serah ran after Mog, both trying not to imagine what the seeress's condition was.

**A/N: So yeah, that just happened. I'm sorry! Blame the playlist not me! I apologize for my slight cliffhanger, I couldn't resist!**

** I need to finish writing the next chapter and it'll be up soon.**

** Please review! It will guide me on the path of becoming the best writer I can be!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: New chapter~ Thanks to paloland, vexenreplica331, and diellemabelle for the wonderful reviews/favorites. I really appreciate the support, thank you guys so much! Anyways, continuing on... Please enjoy!**

It didn't take long for them to reach the area Mog was leading them to. There was a shore of sorts by the river, and Yeul was lying there, legs still in the water but otherwise washed up onto the land. Noel quickly ran to her, pulling her completely out of the water.

"C'mon, wake up. Please wake up," he begged. She was still breathing, but only barely. Her skin was sickly pale and ice cold. He shook her gently, trying to stir her awake. Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open.

"Noel," she murmured weakly. "I'm cold."

He pulled her close, not thinking about his own clothes as they were soaked through. He just needed her in his arms. He hugged her, only pulling back when he felt something warm on Yeul's neck. Noel looked at his hand, staring at the red liquid in disbelief. As she was warming up he could see the bruises blossoming all over her body.

Serah moved closer, pressing a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Noel was cradling Yeul so gently, and no wonder, the girl must have broken something.

"Serah, she's bleeding," Noel said worriedly, looking at his pink-haired companion. He was using all his energy to stay calm. He could hardly think aside from the instinct to help the seeress in his arms.

"I-It's pretty bad Noel, I'm not sure how much I can do."

"Please just try!"

Serah nodded, feeling tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She pulled together as much healing magic as her body would allow, releasing it over Yeul. The bleeding stopped, and a little color returned to the seeress, but she still looked sickly. Hopefully the larger problems, such as broken bones, were at least set. Bruises and scrapes left over would just have to heal on their own. Serah sat beside Noel and Yeul, exhausted from using so much magic.

"Yeul, are you alright?" Noel asked, his eyes pleading for her answer.

"I…I hit some rocks," she groaned. "Big ones, but I _think_ Serah's help worked. I'm just a little…" her voice trailed off as she looked past him. Her eyes lost focus and his heart stopped for a moment. He shook her again, a little more forcefully than before. She seemed to snap out of whatever she'd been watching without much damage, but the color had drained from her face again. Yeul was weakening by the moment.

"Noel, let's get her back. It's all we can do right now. She needs to be warmed back up," Serah said soothingly, placing a hand on the brunette's shoulder.

Noel looked down at the girl in his arms and nodded. Yeul had fallen unconscious. He picked her up gently, carrying her bridal style as they made the trek back to the home of the seeress.

"She'll be okay," Serah reassured her companion, but he wasn't convinced, and neither was she. The younger girl had been at risk of dying a few times already and was considerably weakened. Still, she was a fighter it seemed. Serah wasn't sure whether that was good or bad.

When they got inside the house, they took Yeul to her bedroom and Serah made Noel let go of her, having to just about force him out of the room so she could get the unconscious girl out of her wet clothes.

"But we grew up together! She wouldn't care if I was just in the room!" he had protested. Serah had glared, scolded him about respecting the dignity of others, and abruptly shoved him into another room.

The pinkette turned her attention to the fragile girl in front of her. She quickly found a few towels, placing them aside as she peeled the clothes off the seeress. Serah dried her to the best of her ability and securely wrapped a towel around the younger girl. Then she tied Yeul's hair back, wrapping that in a towel as well to keep it from dripping everywhere. She then helped the semi-conscious girl reach the small couch in the corner of the room. Serah sighed, pushing a few stray pink locks of hair out of her face as she watched over the girl. Yeul was small, and the towel she was in almost could have been swallowing her. Serah noticed that the seeress was shivering and found a few blankets, covering her with those.

"Okay," Serah murmured. "Sorry, but that's all I can do right now." She turned, ready to leave the room and fetch Noel.

"Serah?" a weak voice called out. The traveler looked at Yeul, whose eyes were barely open.

"Yes? What is it?"

"…I don't… I don't have much time left. I can feel it everywhere; death is following me. I figure I've got a few days at the most before…" Yeul said, trying to keep her voice steady. "When the time does come, don't let him save me. If it looks like he is going to try, get him far away as soon as it starts."

"Yeul… he won't just leave you alone."

"… Then don't let him get in the way of my fate. Please," Yeul pleaded. Serah paused, thinking for a moment.

"I'm guessing you don't want him to know about this discussion either?" the pinkette asked. Yeul offered a small smile, grateful for the assistance. Serah just shook her head, turning to the door and wiping away the tears threatening to fall before letting Noel in.

Serah had hardly gotten a word out before Noel rushed past her into the room. He went to Yeul quickly, grabbing her hand. Despite the circumstances, the pinkette smiled slightly. Though he would have hated to hear it, her companion reminded her of Snow, if only a little. His optimism, his heart, they were both led by his goal to save her. Sure, maybe the future could be better when all was said and done, but she could tell her wouldn't be able to live in a world without the younger girl. He wanted to be her hero. Serah fingered her necklace charm absentmindedly as she moved away from the bedroom. The two others needed to talk alone, and she wanted some thinking space.

…

Noel just sat there for a moment in silence, holding Yeul's hand. She was still cold, but nowhere near as bad as before. He could see some of the bruises still left and mentally berated himself.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, hanging his head and refusing to look her in the eye.

"It wasn't your fault," she murmured.

"If we hadn't… If _I _hadn't-,"

"You can't protect me forever Noel, you know that." She lifted his chin gently, looking straight into his eyes. "You do know that, right?"

"Yeah," he answered softly. "But I wish I didn't." He felt tears build up and tried to blink them back. Yeul nodded and pulled him closer to her on the couch; snuggling against his chest s she forced back tears of her own.

"When I was younger, I used to dream about us taking on the world together, going on all sorts of adventures. It was a wonderful dream," she revealed.

"You were always the stronger one out of the two of us. I could fight monsters and use weapons to protect you, but it was really you protecting me the whole time. Every smile you gave me, every laugh… I don't know how you did it."

"Well, practice makes perfect I guess. Still, we may not get those adventures, but I think this is just as good."

Noel nodded, un-wrapping her hair and combing through the blue strands with his fingers. She glanced up at him, a small smile gracing her lips. He kissed her softly, cradling the back of her head with his hand. When he pulled away he rested his forehead against hers.

"I think you may be right," he murmured.

…

Serah had decided to retreat to the outside of the house. She leaned against the rock wall, letting out a sigh. The sun was beginning to set. She briefly thought of going to tell Yeul, but pushed the thought aside.

"What's wrong, Kupo?" Mog asked, floating aimlessly.

"Not much really. I just… seeing them reminded me of how things used to be, how things _should_ be. The moments they get here can never be replaced, and I want the little time they get together to last."

"Don't worry, Kupo! I'm sure we'll fix everything soon, Kupo!"

Serah didn't answer, instead choosing to look out at the horizon. The timeline they were in was so beautiful; she couldn't help wondering if Yeul had somehow chosen where she would end up this time. A place so different from where Noel was from. It was full of life and beauty… _"And with the exception of me, they're the only two here to share it,"_ the pinkette thought.

She shook her head, smiling. It wasn't likely, probably just her romantic thoughts trying to pick apart a coincidence. At least it wasn't something completely made up. A dark mist began swirling around slowly, interrupting her train of thought. Serah glanced anxiously at Mog, who nodded before quickly transforming into her bow. She pointed her weapon at the figure uncertainly. Her eyes hardened as the leather clad man came into focus. His eyes met hers, giving off enough intensity to make anyone nervous. Still, Serah held her ground, keeping her weapon trained on him.

"I am not here to fight you. Not this time," Caius said lowly, keeping eye contact.

"What do you want then?" the traveler asked cautiously, stepping in front of the door to the house.

"I wish simply to maintain my duties as a guardian and make sure Yeul is doing well."

"She is, no need for you to check on her," Serah stated firmly, relaxing her grip on her weapon.

"Then where is she? Normally by this time she is outside."

"She's with Noel inside the house. I'm sure he can watch over her just fine in there.

"And why, might I ask, are you not with them?"

"They're… busy," Serah answered hesitantly. "The two of them had important things to discuss that I'd rather not intrude on."

Caius gave her a strange look before pushing past her into the house. He looked around, searching for the Yeul and Noel in a few other places before heading to her bedroom.

"You know, I really don't think this is a good idea-," Serah mentioned, tagging along behind him. She stopped when he opened the bedroom door, looking underneath his arm to see inside. Her shoulders relaxed and she breathed out a sigh as she looked at the two teens, asleep on the small couch. Noel was underneath one of the few blankets around Yeul, holding her securely against him. The seeress was leaning into his chest, tightly snuggled against his chest. Serah looked up at Caius's face and was surprised to see how relaxed he looked. It almost seemed as though he was smiling lightly, but decided not to let her wishful thinking go that far. The purple-haired man turned around and began leaving, quietly closing the bedroom door as he did so.

"Is that it? You're just going to leave?" she asked him.

"I've done my part, she is protected. No need to disturb her just to alert her of my presence," he replied, exiting the house.

Serah stared after him for a few moments, looking at the front door. That was probably one of the strangest encounters she'd had with the man…. Especially considering the fact that he didn't attempt any kind of attack. Of course… his goal, first and foremost, was to protect Yeul, so beginning a battle out of the blue probably wouldn't earn him much approval. The younger girl's attachment, at least to Noel, was obvious. Sighing, Serah sat on the couch in the living room. Things were definitely getting deeper than they'd been for a while. It was all were going well, despite the incident earlier that day. So well, in fact, that she wasn't sure she wanted to see the ending. There was no way it could be a happy one. Thinking about the couple asleep in the other room, she smiled a little, despite the thought. They really were adorable. With the happy image in her mind, she drifted off to sleep.

**A/N: Okay, so that happened. Yeul's alive! :D... For now... She was actually originally supposed to die this way, but I just couldn't do it. The means of healing her may seem a little meh, but it really only healed fatal injuries. She's getting steadily weaker throughout the story. D: Anyways, everyone's in pretty good shape at the moment, though Serah's having her internal struggle a little about whether she should be happy or dread what's to come. Caius was 'kind of' out of character, but I personally think he might very well react this way to the situation... I still don't like him in the game though. I like his general goal, but the way he goes about it makes me sad.**

**Regardless, I have decided to give the playlist I use to write this. It is as follows:**

**This Woman's Work-Maxwell**

**Hass Mich-Overground**

**Almost Lover-A Fine Frenzy**

**Need-Hana Pestle**

**Breathe Me-Sia**

**Sleep-Poets of the Fall**

**Skinny Love-Birdy**

**Rose's Theme- Doctor Who Soundtrack**

**Breathe Again-Sara Bareilles**

**I used to have Yeul's theme, but found it actually distracted me from writing after the first chapter. I have a friend who's requesting a Noel/Yeul fanfic that's cutesy and doesn't end sadly. Ideas? Please review! Only a couple more chapters left!... And this is probably the last chapter that will stay this positive. My vision for the rest is... a little darker. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm sorry for being so late. Special thanks to paloland and diellemabelle for their reviews and support! Please enjoy~**

When Yeul awoke she knew the sun would be rising soon. However, she couldn't bring herself to pull away from the brunette holding her. With a sigh, she closed her eyes again, waiting for him to stir. When he did she couldn't help but smile at how drowsy he looked. His eyes were still drooping slightly and he yawned tiredly.

"When is your sunrise happening?" he asked, glancing down at her.

"I think it's happening about now," she replied.

"…Shouldn't we be out there then?"

"No, let's just stay here a little longer. No harm done, right?"

Noel looked at her with a raised eyebrow; her behavior was definitely becoming less restrained. The tight schedule she kept her life on seemed to be fading, and as he hugged her close Noel had to admit that he was enjoying it. The two of them stayed that way, simply enjoying each other's presence until a light knock sounded on the door.

"Wake up sleepyheads, I made breakfast~!" Serah called lightly into the room.

"Alright, alright, we're up," Noel answered, rolling his eyes as he shared a small smile with the seeress.

Serah opened the door, peeking inside as Yeul and Noel separated from each other. It was then that Yeul looked down at her apparel and gave Serah a questioning look.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot! Your clothes were kind of messed up, so I tried my best to pull something decent together," the pinkette said, leaving for a moment before returning with an outfit made of white fabric. "I couldn't find your headpiece though, I'm sorry about that." Serah looked down at her feet, a little upset that it had been seemingly lost.

"It is alright," Yeul replied, reaching for the clothes Serah offered. "I'm sure these will be fine." The pinkette handed them over and pulled Noel out of the room so the seeress could get dressed in peace.

The travelers walked to the living room, waiting patiently for Yeul to dress. Serah refused to serve food without her there. When the girl finally entered, it was somewhat shyly. Her clothing, though not much different than before, was slightly simpler. The amount of beaded ornaments was reduced greatly in number, and the animal skin usually tied around over the back of her skirt was gone. Aside from that and the missing headpiece it seemed about the same. Still, despite her familiar appearance Noel still couldn't keep his eyes away. As Yeul tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Serah stood up quite suddenly.

"Okay! Time to eat then!"

Yeul giggled lightly, sitting down and eating happily with the two travelers. In her mind, Serah thought about everything going on as they all ate in content silence. When they'd all finished and were just sitting back and relaxing with their thoughts, she spoke up.

"So, I was thinking that maybe you and I could spend some girl time together Yeul. I mean, it's been a while since I've had another girl to hang around and talk to," Serah mentioned.

Yeul smiled, happy for the offer. "That sounds wonderful. What would you like to do?" she asked.

"Hmm… Just relax somewhere, I'm sure you probably have a great place for that," the pinkette replied. The seeress nodded, delighted at the idea of spending some time with Serah. She was a kind, interesting person, and she hadn't really conversed with her much.

Throughout the entire conversation, Noel was looking back and forth between the two young women with a confused expression painted across his features. "Wait a second! If you two are gone, what am I supposed to do?" he asked.

"Oh I'm sure you and Mog can figure out _something_ to do for a couple hours," Serah said. She rolled her eyes at his behavior; he was like a puppy. The thought made her giggle slightly, just waving off the strange look he gave her. She then turned back to Yeul and began planning what they could do on their own for a couple hours.

After breakfast was cleaned up, the two young women left the house, waving as they walked down the trail to the greenery on the ground. Yeul led Serah through all different kinds of plants and trails toward their destination, so many that the traveler was amazed that the girl could remember the way to get there and back. The pinkette reached out toward a particularly unique plant, spotted blue with leaves connected by twos, as though they were mouths.

"I wouldn't do that," Yeul said. "That one bites." Serah blinked, tilting her head curiously before pulling her hand back quickly as the plant made an attempt to take a nibble out of her hand. After that Serah kept her hands away from the greenery around her, instead opting to observe and be amazed by the bright, lively colors each type of plant carried. She hardly noticed they'd reached their destination until Yeul tapped her lightly on the shoulder.

It was a small clearing, surrounded by patches of flowers of all colors that seemed to sparkle in the sun's light. A miniscule stream ran past on the other side, bubbling happily as it flowed downhill.

"Oh wow," Serah whispered. "What is this place?"

"It's… my little safe haven. I found it one day as I was exploring the area. Whenever I felt a little upset I'd just come here. It's… soothing."

Serah nodded in understanding; the younger girl's logic was undeniable as a breeze blew past gently. Every plant rustled melodically with the wind, combining with the sound of the stream to create some form of music. The pinkette found herself clearing her mind and breathing in the unique beauty around her.

"Well then, what did you want to speak with me about?" Yeul asked, sitting beside a group of flowers with petals stained a light purple and running a hand across them gently.

"I just… I wanted to make sure you know what you're doing here. This situation is so unusual, so fragile-,"

"Now you sound like Caius," the seeress sighed.

Serah placed a slender hand on her hip, looking pointedly at the younger girl. "You know what I mean Yeul. Both you and Noel seem to be approaching the situation somewhat recklessly, throwing caution to the wind and-,"

"And for what reason would we need be cautious about anything?"

Serah paused, trying to regain her train of thought, but not finding a logical answer. The two young women sat together in silence for a few moment before Yeul spoke again, picking one of the flowers she was studying with such interest.

"Serah… Do you think it possible to make deals with the universe?"

"… Maybe, why do you ask?"

"I don't know. All this… this beauty and happiness I get to see and feel here… It feels like a wish or a dream…"

"Maybe the universe is paying you back for everything you've done?" Serah replied, sounding unsure of herself.

"…Last time I died, I wanted to see him smiling for just a little longer. I didn't want to leave him alone. All I wanted was a little more time… because there were so many things I'd wanted to say… It seemed so selfish, but I wanted it regardless…"

"What do you think the price of something like that would be?" Serah asked, trying to think of an answer. "I mean, deals are two-sided right?"

Slowly, Yeul nodded. "I am not sure what price I would have to pay. All that this wish has given me in the negative sense are my emotions."

"But… Isn't it a good thing to have emotions?" the pinkette asked curiously. The seeress certainly had a different viewpoint compared to anyone else.

"Usually I have no use for them, so much so that I didn't care about my fate. I wouldn't be sad or afraid, no matter what. Seeing him, _knowing_ him makes me feel. Every negative I experience influences my judgment… I've never really been afraid of death before, no matter how painful. Now I'm terrified of what may happen. I don't want to get hurt. I'm scared to die for the first time in a long time," the seeress confessed, playing with her hair nervously.

"So you get your wish, and in return you receive… fear? That doesn't sound like a fair trade to me…"

"Maybe so, but having these emotions has toyed with me long enough to know how negative they are. No doubt another _gift_ gone astray. I began to doubt my purpose, my fate. I began to hate everything my fate stood for… I'm not supposed to hate Serah. I'm supposed to be cold and obedient, but how can I be when I can finally _feel_ something? I have no choice but to feel, and it's so wonderful that it _hurts_," Yeul replied, pressing a hand over her heart.

Serah watched a tear trickle down the younger girl's cheek before reaching out and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You love him, right?" the pinkette asked.

"…Yes," Yeul whispered, as though it pained her to admit it.

"Then it's worth it. Any pain you feel, any burden you bare will be worth the time you get with him."

Yeul paused before commenting. "You almost sound as though you speak from experience."

"Well, let's just say I've done a lot of waiting, and now that I'm finally on the move I know that the burdens others have carried for me took a lot of strength and pain. If need be, I'd do the same for them," the traveler replied, smiling lightly and holding a hand out to Yeul to help her up. The young seeress smiled back, accepting the hand and beginning the trip back to her home.

The two travelled in comfortable silence, happy for each other's company. After admitting something she had held in for quite some time, Yeul felt as though a great weight had lifted off her shoulders.

When they reached the house they shared one last smile before entering. Noel jumped up like a puppy and immediately approached them, asking about their trip. Serah brushed off his questions, teasing him lightly. Yeul began feeling strange, her surroundings becoming hazy. She coughed, confused when she saw red specks on her hand. She tried to figure out what they could be, but her mind was too foggy to think straight. She could hear Noel and Serah's voices around her, but they seemed far away. A sharp pain erupted in her side and she felt her knees give out. She didn't hit the ground, or at least she didn't think so. Something warm settled over her and she drifted into a dreamless slumber.

**A/N: I keep doing that! :3**

**Anyways, Serah got some time in there finally, I'd been wanting to give her a little time. How'd you like it? Questions? Comments? Concerns? **

**Next chapter will be up soon; I had to divide one into two so it wouldn't be too long.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here you guys go, almost done~**

It had seemed a little more serious than it really had been, but only a little. Serah sighed in relief as she closed Yeul's bedroom door behind her. It had taken a couple hours, but the seeress had finally woken up. The pinkette could only guess that her collapse had been because of an unnoticed injury left after the younger girl had fallen into the river. That along with the miniature journey the two of them had gone on must have done it. She was no doctor, so she couldn't even attempt to actually diagnose the problem, but she'd done all she could to help. It was when she ran into the panicked Noel that his companion's frustration showed.

"Serah, let me pass! She's-,"

"Noel calm down! I know okay?! Just… calm down. She wouldn't want to see you acting this way and you know it!"

"But she's… she… I don't want her to be alone," Noel whispered. "I want to stay with her until the end, no matter how long it takes."

"…Promise me you won't do anything rash. Don't make this harder for either of you," Serah requested, her voice wavering a little. Noel nodded and she stepped to the side, letting him pass. Slowly, Noel entered the room. He let out a deep breath when he saw her. She was on the couch, just sitting there. She eyed him warily as he approached. He sat beside her without a word and a small smile graced her lips.

"I should have guessed she couldn't keep you out," the seeress teased quietly.

"You know me, always the persuasive one," he replied, smiling a little.

"I think stubborn is the word you're looking for."

"Look who's talkin."

Yeul giggled, wincing slightly. So slightly that he wouldn't have noticed had he not been focused solely on her. The way she stiffened for a fraction of a second before breathing out a little slower than normal. The way her eyes closed a little more tightly when she blinked. Despite that, however, the smile on her face when she looked back at him was real and unwavering.

"Does it hurt?" Noel asked quietly.

"Only when I laugh," she said before sighing and leaning against him. She lifted his arms, pulling then around her waist. "I'm not going to shatter if you hold me Noel. I'm stronger than you think."

"I know, I tend to underestimate you. I just feel like I'm losing you too fast. If I'm not able to let go…"

"All the more reason to hold me while I'm here, right?" she whispered, looking up into his eyes before capturing his lips with her own. Without warning, she caught him by surprise, pushing him onto his back. His eyes widened as she smiled down at him.

"Is it just me, or are you getting more pushy?" Noel asked.

"Maybe I'm just taking advantage of the situation," Yeul replied coolly, yelping when Noel pulled her closer to him and switched their positions.

"I think you've been hanging out with Serah a little too much," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, a whole _two hours_ with her completely changed me."

"She _is_ a teacher, maybe she brainwashed you into thinking you could control the world or something," he joked, shrugging.

"Oh really? It seems to me that you're the one who took control."

"Just taking advantage of the situation," Noel teased, smirking. He just looked down at her appreciatively for a moment. Her hair was fanned out beneath her, and her jade eyes were glowing happily. She looked like an angel as she smiled up at him.

"Beautiful," he whispered, the word slipping past his lips before he even realized he'd been thinking it.

Yeul blushed slightly from beneath him. There was something different in his eyes than before. All previous signs of joking had disappeared. When he kissed her it was different than before. It was not on impulse, nor some kind of new revelation. It was the resurfacing of old feelings over time. All the time he'd lost, all the things he never said or did, he tried to show in that single action. Yeul's reaction was automatic as she instantly melted into the kiss. Her thoughts were scrambled as the pure emotion of his intentions flooded through her. When he finally pulled back they were both breathless.

"Last time I lost you I didn't get to show you how I felt. I didn't know how little time I had. I don't plan on making the same mistake twice," Noel said quietly.

"Okay," Yeul managed to answer in a small voice. She grasped his shirt and pulled him back down to her, kissing him again. Their lips parted briefly as she whispered, "I used to be afraid of getting close to you. You didn't know what was going to happen, and I didn't want to let you close enough to get hurt when you discovered the truth."

"And how did that work out?"

"Better than expected apparently," she replied, snaking her arms around his neck. Their lips met again, this time with no words or thoughts to interrupt them. They were lost in their own world. For once, they were able to just be two teenagers in love. They were weightless, thoughtless, oblivious to their surroundings, or perhaps too enraptured by each other to care.

Then there was the sound of an explosion so strong that the vibrations could be felt inside the mountain. Then there was another, and another. Noel got up quickly, listening on high alert to whatever could be making the noise.

"Ever heard anything like that before?" he asked.

Yeul shook her head. "This place is usually peaceful, it hasn't been attacked by anything large since… well before I was born.

Frustrated, he turned to her. "I can't tell what it is, or even how far away it could be. I'm gonna go check it out, you stay here," he said.

"But-,"

"No 'buts', I don't want you to interfere. You're much safer in here."

Yeul stared at him as though she wanted to protest, instead choosing to nod. Noel's shoulders relaxed as he softened his tone. "I'll be back, I promise," he whispered.

Then he left, and Serah followed him, asking questions as she held the transformed Mog in her hand. Yeul walked to the kitchen after the front door had closed, trying to keep her mind from worrying. She kept trying to convince herself that everything would be fine. Then she felt her knees give out as her surroundings changed. She was in a clearing, much bigger than the one she'd been to with Serah earlier, watching as Noel and Serah fought together. They looked tired and bruised from the battle. Then their opponent came into view. It had an impossibly hard shell, to the point that weapons barely made a mark. The appendages sprouted from it's back and it fell on all fours, whipping the appendages at Noel and Serah. The two attempted to jump out of the way, but Serah was too slow, and she was knocked to the ground unconscious. She didn't seem to be seriously injured, and lost the attention of the beast when she stopped moving. Noel yelled out his companion's name reflexively, catching the attention of the monster. It turned to him, the shell on its chest parting and revealing sharp barbs ready to be shot.

Yeul blinked rapidly, picking herself up off the floor of the kitchen. She heard the roar of the beast and was out the door quicker than lightning strikes.

…

Noel and Serah panted heavily, frustrated. The beast had been hostile, attacking them from the shadows initially. Their weapons had done nothing more than scratch the surface of its hard shell. The shell also seemed to provide some kind of barrier against magic, rendering those attacks useless as well. The creature roared some kind of sonic wave knocking over the duo. As they got back up three appendages shot out from its back, making the two travelers look at each other in disbelief. The appendages lashed out quickly, whipping around as well.

"Get out of the way!" Noel shouted to Serah as he jumped out of the monster's reach just as he was about to be hit. He looked over where Serah had been and saw her lying, unconscious, on the ground. "Serah!" he shouted reflexively, unable to stop himself. The creature turned on him, stalking up to him slowly.

Noel was backed up against the wall of the mountain with the monster fast approaching. Serah remained unconscious a few meters away, safe for the moment. Then, out of the corner of his eye he caught a glint of navy-blue hair shining in the sun. Yeul's eyes were wide, her mouth open, and he made the mistake of turning his attention to her for a split second. The monster moved quickly, ready to strike, and Yeul began running.

"Noel!" she shouted, distracting the monster. It shot barbs from its chest on instinct, freezing in its vulnerability after shooting its weapons.

"NO!"

**A/N: I did it again. -3-**

**Next chapter will be the last one. I can't believe it's almost over... Anyways, please send me a review on your thoughts. Each one is treasured and appreciated for all of eternity~**


	8. Chapter 8: The End

**A/N: Here it is, the final chapter. It's also the longest so far. I almost wish it had lasted longer, but dragging it on would have only made it boring and eventually uninteresting. **

**Before I go on I want to thank diellemabelle (who has stuck with me and commented on every update since the beginning; it really helped me move forward at the beginning), vexenreplica331 (who sent a review and added the story to their favorites), paloland (who became a regular reviewer and also added the story to their favorites), LM22102 (who was first to put the story on their alert list), as well as cloudnine for their recent review and any anonymous reviews I've gotten. By this chapter I've officially reached 445 views, which really doesn't seem that large a number but is greater than any story I've written before. You silent readers also helped keep my creativity going to the end. I want to thank each and every one of you for staying with me and encouraging me to continue. Thank you for making me proud of being the author of this story. **

**Without further ado (for those that actually read the note), here we go. The final chapter.**

**...**

He heard her scream for him, but he couldn't react in time. A sonic wave hit as the barbs flew, making his ears ring. Time seemed to slow down as he took in the damage. For a moment his vision was hazy and the noises around him were cloudy. He reached up and touched the side of his head, feeling warm liquid dripping from his ear. As his vision began to clear he looked at his hand. There was red running over his knuckles from his upper arm. There was a cut, but it didn't seem too deep. One of the creature's weapons must have grazed him when it shot out the sharp projectiles…. With completely clear vision he looked around. The beast was frozen, completely open-shelled and vulnerable after its attack. He looked around with slight desperation until…..

"NO!" he yelled seeing Yeul frozen in place with a surprised look on her face, clutching her abdomen with her left hand.

Shakily, she pulled her hand away and looked at it, or rather at the offensive blood-stained object she held

As the blood ran over her pale skin she dropped the barb that had hit her. She attempted to move forward a couple more steps before her knees gave out. Noel's shock quickly turned to anger, and with that rage he quickly struck down the monster in its vulnerable state. It seemed the only way it reached such a weak point was after it shot the barbs from its chest. Panting, Noel threw his weapon to the side and ran to Yeul, who was breathing heavily on her knees. Her hand was still placed over her wound, but the blood was flowing visibly from the area. She attempted to pull herself up, wincing and falling back down. Noel knelt beside her, grabbing her free hand. She released his hand, clenching the fabric of his shirt tightly and gritting her teeth. The pain was immense, though she tried not to show it. She leaned on him heavily, and he cradled her, tucking a loose hair behind her ear.

"I told you not to interfere," he choked out.

"I guess I'm not too good with directions," she said, wincing as she spoke.

Noel kissed the top of her head. "Please stop being the strong one for once. Let me be the strong one, you can be however you want. You can cry if you want."

Yeul looked up into his eyes, her own quickly filling with tears. She buried her face into his chest, keeping a hand clenched tightly as it held his shirt. The soft shaking of her shoulders told him she had given in before he even felt the warmth of her tears begin to stain the shirt.

"It hurts," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry… I didn't want this to happen."

"Of course you didn't!"

"I wasn't thinking, I just…"

She looked back into his eyes, tearstains visible on her cheeks. The pain in her abdomen was decreasing, which she took as a sign of her going into shock. She didn't want that; she wanted to be able to see him clearly for as long as possible. She shifted; feeling another rush of pain hit her.

"Noel, do you remember… The promise you made me… I couldn't remember until now, but the first night you stayed…"

Noel nodded. "I promise I won't let you go Yeul. I'll be right here."

The seeress opened her mouth to speak again as a symbol appeared shining brightly in her jade eyes. The traveler held her close as her eyebrows furrowed. He waited the longest five seconds of his life for her to come back. When she finally blinked back, she was almost completely limp, her strength depleted further than ever before. Noel just held her, the way he had before. She looked up at him, a small smile gracing her features. She couldn't feel the pain anymore; all she thought about was him, his arms around her and his voice.

"What did you see?"

"Something beautiful," she whispered. "… Do you regret it? Having to do this again?"

"Never. The time we've had together, no matter how short… I wouldn't have missed it for the world," the brunette whispered. Innocent green eyes, still shining with a mix of happiness and tears gazed into his.

"Am I… Am I ever going to see you again?" Noel asked his voice thick with emotion as he struggled to stay strong.

"You can't" she whispered. "I don't… I don't think the world could handle another paradox like this one." The life seemed to be leaking out of her; it pained him to watch her suffer, but there was nothing he could do other than stay with her.

"I… didn't think it'd be so hard to say goodbye this time. Not after knowing how things had to end," Noel admitted, holding her close to him. She had relaxed into his arms, no longer having the strength to lift herself up.

"It's… never easy to say goodbye. Just… remember this. If nothing else, remember that I am one of many. We are all separate, but we are one… and we all love you Noel. I may not always know you, but I will always love you. You gave me hope for a dying world, and that is something I will treasure for thousands of years." She smiled, cupping his cheek with her hand. "Please…"

"What?"

"Please smile for me. I want to see your smile."

He paused, if he did as she asked it'd feel as though he was giving up but… he couldn't say no to her, especially when she had that look in her eyes. Breathing in deeply, he blinked back tears he didn't even realize had begun to form, along with his sadness, and smiled to the best of his ability under the circumstances. Yeul's eyes shone brightly and a tear trickled down her cheek as she smiled back at him.

"Beautiful. That's the future you gave me; you gave me a future where everyone is smiling," she murmured happily. Slowly her vision blurred, losing focus completely. She blinked her eyelids heavy. Noel watched as the life left her body. She looked so peaceful, as though she was only sleeping. As her body went completely limp, the wall holding back his emotions fell, letting a few tears finally escape and kissing the crown of her head. As he held her a memory sprang to mind, a memory from a long time ago…

_A boy peeked around a pillar curiously, watching as he had been doing for about a week. The girl was sitting on her knees, eyes closed and face pointed skyward. It was as though there was a single ray of sunlight, shining only upon her. He let out a shout of surprise as he felt himself being lifted up by the back of his shirt._

"_Hey! Lemme down!" he shouted._

"_What are you doing out here boy?" a deep voice asked dangerously. Noel gulped as the man set him down, turning to face him. The man had purple hair and sharp eyes. A mix of anger and frustration showed plainly on the adult's face._

"_I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm, I just-,"_

"_So foolish, coming here every day and not expecting to be caught. Perhaps I should-,"_

"_Caius?" a soft voice called out. "Are you here?"_

_Noel whirled around as the girl found them. He was stunned into silence; her eyes were even brighter than he'd imagined. Everything about her was shining._

"_I apologize, I was getting rid of this-," the man began._

"_Are you an angel?" Noel blurted out. He had never seen an angel, but he'd heard stories and imagined that they must be like her, bright and beautiful._

_The girl tilted her head slightly as though she was curious about something. Slowly, a small smile spread over her lips. She laughed lightly. Noel decided he like her laugh._

"_I thought angels were supposed to be beautiful?" she said quietly._

"_But you __**are**__ beautiful," he answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world._

_The girl laughed again, sharing an amused look with the larger man._

"_Well, I am sorry to disappoint, but I'm not an angel. My name is Yeul," she said._

"_I'm Noel!"_

_**A few weeks later…**_

"_Well Noel, what do you want to do when you get older?" Yeul asked out of curiosity._

"_I'm gonna be an adventurer! I'll go all sorts of places!" he exclaimed, an excited gleam in his eye as he pretended to fight imaginary monsters._

"_That sounds wonderful."_

_Noel smiled brightly, his eyes widening as he came up with an idea._

"_You could go too! We'd be like partners!"_

_Yeul smiled gently, a little softer than before, with some hidden emotion behind her eyes._

"_Perhaps," was all she said._

_Noel looked at her curiously; she still seemed to be glowing to him, even after knowing her for weeks._

"_Are you sure you're not an angel?" he asked suspiciously, with a raised eyebrow. Yeul giggled, smiling a real smile at him._

"_Yes, I'm sure… So where do you want to go for your first adventure then? I want you to tell me everything."_

_Noel's eyes lit up as he began to talk about everything he wanted to do._

**...**

She was gone. Once Noel had finally gotten his emotions under control, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up in curiosity at Caius as the man provided silent comfort without making eye contact. For a moment, Noel could feel the family-like bond he and Caius had shared in his timeline. When Caius pulled back, however, the feeling left as quickly as it had come.

"Are you going after her?" Noel asked quietly.

"Yes," Caius replied. "I will follow her as long as this continues."

"I see." Noel nodded in understanding. "Of course, this doesn't change anything, right?"

Caius was silent for a moment. "… The next time we meet, things will certainly not be so civil," the leather-clad man responded. "I suggest you help your companion find her feet and continue on your way."

"You know I can't do it don't you? I can't kill you Caius."

"Perhaps, though maybe you'll just need a push in the right direction," his mentor answered before leaving Noel alone.

"That's not what she wanted," the brunette whispered. "How can there be a future full of smiling faces when there is no future? When will you understand Caius?"

Noel was aware the other man could no longer hear him. The words were mostly meant to strengthen his own will. After finally spending time with his Yeul, something about her was much clearer than before. She would gladly sacrifice everything for the sake of millions of people she could never hope to meet. More than anything, she wanted to make the world better in any way she could. Destroying all possibilities for a brighter future would break her heart. She kept so many emotions hidden under her gentle demeanor that the loss could release a darker side of her, one made of her negative feelings that even she feared. Noel didn't want her to feel such pain; she deserved better. Even if she never knew him again the same way, even if she didn't acknowledge his existence, even if she never smiled at him again, even if she never loved him the same way again, he would fight to protect her hope for a better future.

"Noel? Are you alright?" a soft voice asked from behind him. Noel whirled around and found Serah standing there, looking a little worried as she rubbed her head.

"I'll be fine."

She nodded. "Let's go save the future. Then I can finally focus on something I've put off for much too long," she said, letting a small sad smile show as she thought about her home, NORA, and Snow. Yes, next time she saw Snow she wouldn't let him get away. Never again.

Noel rolled his shoulders and looked up at the sky. A light breeze blew past, making the leaves rustle as though they carried a secret message. For some reason, Noel knew they wouldn't be able to return to their current location, thinking back he wasn't even sure how they'd gotten there. He closed his eyes as the wind glided over his skin, providing a final touch of comfort in preparation of the trials to come. When he opened his eyes he smiled slightly. Serah looked at him curiously.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah… Let's go."

…

From the shadows Caius watched the duo leave. The guardian had not bothered to listen in on anything that had been said once he'd left, but something had caught his eye. He held Yeul's headpiece, turning it over in his hands. Things would be changing soon, for the better, or so he believed. For a moment he felt a pang in his chest of some foreign emotion he hadn't felt in a long time. He shrugged it off without hesitation. Yes, their next meeting would not be pleasant, but it was necessary.

**~End~**

**A/N: There it was. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it. I left it on that note because... well I felt that if this were to take place at any time during the game, it would be near the end I guess. I honestly spent weeks trying to figure out how Yeul would end up dying, trying to make it as painless as possible... Then I realized that I couldn't. No matter what the end would be painful...**

**On another note, this is the first multi-chapter story I've ever finished, so I hope the ending wasn't terrible. I wrote a large portion of it one day listening to the song Breathe Again on repeat, then went on to revise it many times before it got to final editing and posting stages. **

**Liked it? Hated it? Loved it? Leave me a review so I can better my writing as I continue with future stories and assignments. If you want me to write something, let me know and I'll try to do it for you. I have a one-shot in progress that I may or may not post about Snow after the game's ending. Do you guys think it's a good idea? **

**Until next time**

** ~ Dawn Destiny**


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